1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf clubs, particularly putters, and specifically to a putter having features to assist a user in accurately aligning the club with a golf ball when putting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Putting is an integral and critical part of the game of golf. Putting involves the use of specialized clubs to make comparatively gentle (compared to driving) but highly accurate strokes on a ball at rest upon a putting green surrounding a hole containing a cup. In putting, maximizing range is of no importance, while aiming precision is paramount. The golfer strives to align the club, assume a correct stance, and perform the stroke in a manner that will result in the ball rolling along a path to the cup. To accomplish this, the putter must be properly aligned with the ball to optimize the contact of the putter with the ball to direct the movement of the ball in precisely the direction the golfer intends the ball to go. While the force of the putting stroke is important (the golfer not wanting to undershoot or overshoot the hole), the importance of correctly aiming the direction of ball travel is paramount.
Throughout the years, various assists have been developed to aid the golfer in aiming a putt. Some elaborate electro-optical aiming systems have been devised using bubble levels, lasers, etc., but such systems have generally been rejected for being too complex, time consuming, and even in violation of the rules of the game of golf.
Commonly, currently employed visual alignment aids that are incorporated into putter designs are primarily perpendicular grooves located on top of the putter blade, or, in the case of a mallet-design putter, on the top surface of the sole. Such grooves are often highlighted by the use of white, black, red, or other contrasting colors of paint or colored inserts. The grooves, viewed in combination with the putter blade, are used to align the face of the putter with the intended path of the ball. In sum, most known alignment aids purport to inform the user when the face of the putter is perpendicular to the intended path of the ball.
However, this common aligning assist is uni-dimensional. That is, the alignment groove is viewed in the vertical (or near vertical) plane common to the blade of the putter. This uni-dimensional character of current putter aiming systems leaves ample room for aiming error. One solution that has been proposed is that used in the SeeMore(TM) putter system, which utilizes a pair of parallel white lines on the top of the putter head. When, as the user looks down the club and toward the ball, the shaft of the club is disposed precisely between the lines so that the lines are just visible on either side of the shaft alignment, the putter is ostensibly in alignment.
In addition to the known putting alignment devices mentioned above, a number of additional innovations have been developed relating to putter alignment devices, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,544,883, 5,564,990, 5,913,731, 6,117,020, and 6,203,443. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,883 discloses a putter having an offset hosel. The putter has a narrow top surface which has a notch used to assist in proper alignment of the putter and a golf ball. The notch does not extend beyond the narrow top surface, so the notch does not provide an extended line for providing alignment. To improve alignment features, it would be desirable if a putter having alignment features included an extended alignment line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,990 discloses a putter having alignment features which includes an extended alignment line. However, even if an alignment line of a putter is properly aligned on a golf ball, the putter may be improperly tilted. In this respect, it would be desirable if a putter having alignment features were provided which includes means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when a putter is employed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,913,731 and 6,203,443 disclose other putters that have extended alignment lines. However, these putters do not include means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when the putter is employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,020 discloses a specific laser aiming device for a putter. It is recalled that laser aiming devices for putters are discussed hereinabove.
As a matter of interest, U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,102 discloses a golf putter that can be equipped with interchangeable weights. However, this putter does not include alignment features.
Still other features would be desirable in a putter golf club with alignment features. For example, it would be desirable if a system of interchangeable putter golf club components could be provided to accommodate a wide variety of golfers. More specifically, it would be desirable if a system employing interchangeable putter golf club handles, counterweights, hosels, and heads were provided to accommodate a wide variety of golfers, including golfers who grow up from junior golfers to senior golfers.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use putter golf clubs having alignment features, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a putter golf club with alignment features which has the following additional combination of desirable features: (1) includes an extended alignment line; (2) includes means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when a putter is employed; (3) provides a system of interchangeable putter golf club components can be used to accommodate a wide variety of golfers; and (4) provides a system which employs interchangeable putter golf club handles, counterweights, hosels, and heads to accommodate a wide variety of golfers, including golfers who grow up from junior golfers to senior golfers. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique putter golf club with alignment features of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a putter golf club with alignment features which allows the user to more precisely align the putter with the intended path of the golf ball, thereby enhancing putting accuracy. The invention is solely mechanical, in that the head and/or hosel of the putter is specially shaped to provide particular alignment surfaces and features which the user views during the putt. No electronic or complex optical components are employed.
Broadly described, the invention includes specially shaped putter heads and hosels that permit the user to sight down more than one reference plane, and thereby determine the proper perpendicularity of the putter blade during the putt. Thus, the shape of the apparatus offers the utilitarian function of providing a multi-dimensional alignment reference system to improve reliability of the user""s aim. In one embodiment of the invention, the user manipulates the apparatus of the invention until two or more planes are not viewed obliquely, to assure that the planes are vertical and perpendicular to the intended direction of the ball movement.
Stated somewhat differently, in accordance with the invention, a putter golf club with alignment features includes a handle shaft and a head connected to the handle shaft. The head includes a front blade which includes a blade back surface which extends vertically in a first vertical plane. An upper surface is located behind the blade back surface and has a vertical height lower than the blade back surface. A body step face is located behind a portion of the upper surface at a predetermined distance away from the blade back surface. The body step face extends vertically in a second vertical plane. The first vertical plane and the second vertical plane is parallel to each other. The predetermined distance between the blade back surface and the body step face define an alignment region.
Preferably, a hosel is connected between the handle shaft and the head. Preferably, the upper surface of the head includes a pair of obliquely intersecting upper surfaces, has a vertical height lower than the blade back surface, and the body step face is located behind a portion of the obliquely intersecting upper surfaces, at a predetermined distance away from the blade back surface.
Preferably, the obliquely intersecting upper surfaces intersect at a body peak which forms an alignment line that is perpendicular to the blade back surface and the body step face. Preferably, the blade includes obliquely intersecting upper surfaces, which intersect at a aiming ridge. The aiming ridge is colinear with the body peak.
Preferably, the hosel includes a planar first hosel side which is in a third vertical plane and includes a planar second hosel side which is in a fourth vertical plane. The third vertical plane and the fourth vertical plane are parallel to the first vertical plane and the second vertical plane, and the first hosel side and the second hosel side are viewed within the alignment region when the hosel is aligned with the head. In addition, the hosel can include an offset hosel portion which is perpendicular to the first hosel side and the second hosel side. Preferably, the handle shaft includes a counterweight received in a hollow portion of the handle shaft.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a number of preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In addition to the objects discussed above, an additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such putter golf club with alignment features available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which includes an extended alignment line.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features that includes means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when a putter is employed.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which provides a system of interchangeable putter golf club components can be used to accommodate a wide variety of golfers.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features that provides a system which employs interchangeable putter golf club handles, counterweights, hosels, and heads to accommodate a wide variety of golfers, including golfers who grow up from junior golfers to senior golfers.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.